Iron or steel and process of making or treating same



atented mg. i, 3933 FICE TENT IRON R STEEL ll: PROCESS OF OR. TREATING SAME Joseph R. C. Marsh, Chicago, 1111., assignor to Francis N. Bard, Chicago, Ill.

2 Claims. (on. 75-45 My invention relates to the manufacture of alloy steel, or to the treatment thereof during the manufacturing process or later operations thereon.

An object of my invention is to provide a treatment for iron or steel in the ladle, or crucible or other suitable retainer, which will impart thereto certain qualities which have not heretofore been obtained. Thus it ismy object to increase the toughness and tenacity of the iron or steel, 'to add to its tensile, torsional and transverse strength and at the same time to increase its strength in alternating stress and resistance to abrasion while keeping the compressive strength 5 high as well as the elastic limits high in all its strengths, and in short to make of the iron or steel a better product.

Other objects and advantages will appear herein.

In carrying my invention into effect I make use of copper and chromium with which the iron or steel is treated while in a molten state, with results as hereinafter described. The carbon, silicon, manganese, sulphur, phosphorus and other elements may be varied to meet certain requirements as in the case of other steels. The metallic copper raises the elastic limit and ultimate load in both steel and iron, gives resiliency and to some extent hardness, and the chromium also adds to the ultimate load and gives the quality of resistance to shock or impact. The chromium and the copper both refine the grain.

This alloy steel can be readily rolled, forged or otherwise mechanically formed.

My invention not only consists in making use of copper and chromium in the treatment of steel, but further consists in certain steps in this treatment found by me in practice to be necessary in view of certain novel conditions resulting from the use of the above metals.

The copper can be added to the cold or molten charge or to the molten metalafter the furnace begins to operate, suflicient time being allowed in the latter case to allow the copper to melt and properly mix with the molten metal. The chromium should be added preferably in the form of ferro-chromium after the manganese, or about fifteen minutes before pouring. The proportion of ferro-chromium will depend upon its chromium content, so as to provide the chromium proportion of the formula in any instance.

As this alloy is difiicult to weld, it becomes very important to properly deoxidize it. This should be done in the ladle or retainer in which it is made if direct pouring is practiced after the Percent Chromium about; .85 Copper about .85 Silicon about .15 Manganese about .25 Sulphur about .03 Phosphorus about; .03 Carbon about 35 Iron about 97:49

This table gives the proportion of the weight of each ingredient as compared with the total weight of the complete resultant product. It will be understood that it is the treatment by adding the chromium and copper and the peculiar steps attending this treatment which distinguish my invention from heretofore known so processes of making or treating steel; and that a substance made up of any or all of the ingreclients. of the above list excepting the copper and chromium, or a substance including any other ingredient with iron such as to give it the ordinary properties of any of the well-known varieties of commercial alloy steel is to be considered as a ferro metal alloy steel. Thus my formula according to the above example may be briefly stated as 00 Percent Chromium about .85 Copper about .85 Ferro metal about 98.30

forging, due to hot shortness, especially if the proportion of the copper is raised. This has been determined by me in actual practice.

To obtain an appreciable effect in accordance with my invention, the copper and chromium should not be used in proportions much less than about .30% each. On the other hand, if much more than about 1.00% copper is used, the steel no rails. car axles, tension members of railway cars and bridges.

The superiority of my unheat treated alloy steel over open hearth steel has been demonstratedat Bethlehem Steel Company at Beth'- lehem, Pennsylvania, as shown by its report of September 17, 1919 in which eighty thousand pounds yield point in tension was obtained as against thirty-live thousand pounds customary yield point found in plain open hearth 40% car-.

bon steel. Seven-eighths inch cold chisels made of this steel have been driven through an inch ofcoldironbybeinghammeredwithaneighteen pound sledge. The cutting edges and the strikingendsofthechiseiswerenotdamaged.

Itwillbeunderstoodthatwhilelhavementinned some uses for which my improved product is most satisfactory and have specined certain ingredients and proportions 0! ingredients; in-

eluding those of the copper and chromium, in order to make a full and clear disclosure of my invention, nevertheless there is the possibility of some departure from the precise ingredients and proportions as well as many fields of usefulness not specifically mentioned herein, without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention, which, having thus fully set forth, I define in the following claims.

I claim:

1-. The process of treating a term metal which consists in combining in a melted state such metal and copper, and afterward combining molten chromium with the combination of said metal and copper while said combination and the chromium are both in a melted state.

2. The method of treating a term metal which consists in combining in a melted state such metal and copper, then combining with the molten combination of saidmetal and copper a proper proportion of manganese while said combination and said manganese are in a melted state, and then combining with this combination-chromium while this combination and said chromium are both in a melted state.

JOSEPH R. C. MARSH. 

